MARCH 2017

Week 14

Orient Aviation - www.orientaviation.com

What a week it’s been in Asia-Pacific aviation! Monday kicked off with the news that Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific Airways and Europe’s Lufthansa Group have signed a strategic partnership on routes to Australia, New Zealand and within Europe.

On Tuesday, American Airlines announced a US$200 million investment in China Southern Airlines for a 2.68% stake in Asia’s largest carrier.

This was followed on Thursday with an announcement from SkyTeam members Korean Air Lines and Delta Air Lines saying they had, at last, agreed on a transpacific joint venture.

In other updates, HNA Group has continued its shopping spree, Beijing Capital Airport is looking at a more-congested-than-ever April and Nok Air is tapping investors for a much-needed capital injection.

American Airlines on Monday confirmed it would pay US$200 million for a 2.7% stake in Guangzhou-based China Southern Airlines, becoming the second U.S. carrier to take a minority share in a Mainland Chinese airline, following Delta Air Lines’ 2015 investment in China Eastern Airlines.Read More »

International Air Transport Association (IATA) director-general and CEO, Alexandre de Juniac, on Tuesday called on both the U.S. and UK governments to “urgently” seek alternatives to the recently-imposed electronics ban on a significant number of flights departing the Middle East and North Africa.Read More »

South Korean firm Korea Transportation Asset Management (KOTAM) has been named as the preferred bidder for a majority stake in AirAsia Group's leasing unit, Asia Aviation Capital (AAC), Reuters has reported.Read More »

‘Good things come to those who wait’ is what Korean Air Lines and Delta Air Lines executives might be thinking after signing a memorandum of understanding to form a trans-Pacific joint venture this week.Read More »

MRO specialist, Lufthansa Technik (LHT), has filled important leadership positions to support its continued expansion in the Asia-Pacific.Read More »

Shorttakes

Routes: AirAsia will increase frequency on the Kuala Lumpur-Kaohsiung A320 route from thrice-weekly to daily beginning May 19. Air India will launch a thrice-weekly Delhi-Washington B777-200LR route on July 7.Read More »